Memorial
by Tulip4217
Summary: After three years Robin is back on Titan Island but he isn't the same Robin. Why did he leave the Titans and why is he back today of all days? Maybe Raven can finally get the answers wether Robin is willing to give them to her or not. Just a quick story for fun with some angst. Oneshot.


Robin walked along the shore in the dark making his way towards the mouth of a small cave on the far side of the island. It had been a year since he had set foot on the Titans land, at least three years since he had been in the tower and spoken to his old team. He always came on this day. The day it all changed.

His steps slowed as the sand gave way to hard stone, worn smooth from large ocean waves or Robins own efforts to create a path to his favorite place here. It had been his secret spot even before. He had stumbled upon it in early morning and found that the suns rays hit it just right to make it the most beautiful place on the island. Thick, luscious moss covered the rocks and the light reflected off small crystals in the cave taking Robins breath away. Anytime he needed to find peace he would come here. Now he came to a stop at the only thing he had really changed about the spot. Directly in the center of the caves opening sat a black granite stone fixed into the rocky floor so it wouldn't topple over. Carved on the front was the name Slade, and beneath read "More Than Just an Enemy" with his signature S symbol next to it. As he knelt before it letting old memories wash over him. Fighting by Slade's side on the way to find Raven. Him coming back just in time to help them all defeat Trigon. But at the last second being run through by a broken piece of Trigons horn. No one else even looked for him. Only Robin did, but what he found was the end of the burnt horn lying next to a pit of lava. Robin couldn't even fathom the pain Slade must have been in, short as he prayed it was. The next few weeks he mourned for a man he barely knew in any way he knew how. Building this memorial for him was one of the first things he did, hiding it from his team to avoid judgment. The team had tried to help but they simply didn't understand why he was in so much pain, and for a long time neither did he. So he decided to do the one thing he had avoided since he had met the man, truly try to understand him.

Faint footsteps stopped behind him, he had known this day would come sooner or later. "Hey Robin, its been awhile man." spoke Cyborg, his voice lacking its usual lighthearted tone.

Robin turned slowly to look at his old team. "Hey. So you guys finally noticed this place."

"Yeah, I found it a few months ago." said BB taking a step toward Robin "We were all a little surprised."

"Wait BB!" Raven growled putting a protective arm across the changeling. "I can see your aura Robin, something is very wrong. What have you done?"

"Raven what do you mean this is Robin our friend?" questioned Starfire clearly very confused as was everyone else. But Robin knew. He always knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from her but he was okay with it. As the night chill settled farther into his bones and he allowed the darkness he had always tried to hide fill him, he knew it was time. This would be the end of 'Robin, boy wonder'.

"His aura used to be bright red but now its dark. Its almost as dark as..." Robin could feel her prodding his mind asking for entrance which he gave with a small nod and a sad smile. He could see her shifting images around in his head and he directed her where she needed with a small push in the right direction. Crime scenes, contracts, blood, pain and death. She went still as understanding and pain lit up her features quickly backing away, ripping herself from his mind and gripping onto BB.

"Almost as dark as Slade's you mean." whispered Robin but they all heard it and stiffened looking from Raven to Robin.

"Robin, what did you show her?" asked Star in a shaky voice.

"I showed her what I do. I'm sorry Raven, you dug a little further than I meant for you to."

"Assassin." Raven spat finally coming back to herself. The rest of the team gasped and recoiled from him as if he were a snake ready to strike. "Your aura is soaked through with blood Robin, the number of people you must have killed to do that in such a short time." she choked on her words at the end a strange mix of sorrow and horror etched on her features.

"Well mercenary is closer though with what you saw I understand your conclusion." he said giving a dark laugh at himself. For some reason he had thought this wouldn't bother him. He had been alone for three years, he didn't need them or anyone else.

"Your'e going to jail Robin! Right now!" Roared Cyborg. The line in the sand had been drawn and it was clear that Robin was the only one on the wrong side.

"Ah you see thats the thing guys," He drawled trailing his fingers across the granite stone as he walked behind it slowly, his footsteps echoing into the depths the cave. "I haven't committed any crimes."

"Those were definitely crimes I saw!" Raven cried, managing a glare.

"Atrocities perhaps, but not crimes. Its amazing what the U.S. Government will pay for. It doesn't matter what you call me, assassin, mercenary, murderer, because in the eyes of the law I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not a criminal, or a villain, you can't touch me." Robin finished with a sigh out of relief the truth was out or maybe exasperation, even he didn't know. But that seemed to have been the last straw for Raven who flew at him in a rage followed closely by BB and Cy. Robin flipped over them all using the stone as leverage and danced out of their grasps again. He stopped in front of Starfire who didn't look angry only broken hearted. Robin couldn't help but feel that small bit of care for her he always had and gave the only explanation he could. "Star, I'm sorry that I hurt all of you, but I had to understand."

At that her eyes finally seemed to focus on him questioningly, before what felt like a brick wall crashed into him from behind. His guess was Cy, the older man had the force of a speeding truck when he wanted to. Two pairs of hands pinned him down and held him there firmly. "Wait! Stop!" Shocked, everyone looked to Starfire standing next to a fuming Raven. "Robin," she started, stepping to his side and kneeling down. "you said you had to understand. What did you have to understand?"

Robin knew he would regret that statement to her the moment it had left his mouth but as he had looked at her he couldn't come up with anything but the truth. And he found he couldn't lie to her now either. He decided to dismiss it instead "It doesn't matter Star, my reasons wouldn't do any of you any good."

"No." Raven ground out, "We deserve to know why you left Robin. And we have to know what happened to you when you did."

Robin felt that same prodding at his mind but this time refused. A growl was her response as she pushed harder. It was like his mind was a hermit crab being bashed against the rocks by unrelenting waves. But he couldn't let her. They couldn't know why. "You know," he strained, panting, "for someone who hates... digging into peoples hea-" he wasn't able to finish as his mind caved under the thousand pounds of pressure the empath forced into a single point tearing a scream from his throat.

The pain wouldn't stop, the pressure didn't ease as the empath sifted through image after image searching for his secrets. He was sure the others were saying something to her by this point but he couldn't hear it over her cold voice as it boomed in his head. "Just show me Robin. This can all stop."

He felt more than heard himself scream again, writhing on the ground trying to get away from her searing voice. He couldn't let her see. But in that moment she shifted to a new image and Robin latched onto it refusing to let her leave it. It was him. Slade. His beautiful, horrible Slade. He only wanted to understand him. They were so alike, so in-sync when they saved Raven, so perfect for each other. But then he had died. He would never see him again, or understand, or know the man who consumed his every thought. He wanted to know him! He had to understand! He knew Raven heard him but she wouldn't let up no matter how much he screamed until she knew it all. "I loved him!" he wailed as if his heart had been broken all over again, his mind refusing to see anything but that damn burnt horn as tears streamed down his face. "I never knew until he was gone." he said choking on sobs. "I couldn't save him." He sensed Raven's retreat from his mind as soon as he had spoke and the other boys had released him but he couldn't see his friends. All that was before him were images his mind conjured up of Slade burning in the lava. He tugged at his hair as he curled in on himself and cried into the dirt. It had been so long since he had allowed himself to feel this way. He felt pathetic as he pictured how the titans must be looking at him their faces twisted in disgust. They would never understand. How could they? They never cared about Slade, never wanted to know anything about him but how he could be stopped. Robin on the other hand had wanted to know everything. That was the reason he had become a mercenary. He had no qualms about his job now, he was good at it and even enjoyed it. He never enjoyed the act of killing, only crazy people did. However, nothing was better than planning every detail exactly right and seeing his plans work out flawlessly. But again no one would understand that part of him. No one would ever want to. Just as Robin had refused to understand Slade while he was alive. How he had refused to see just how similar they were even when it was so obvious.

Echoing footsteps from the direction of the cave and a collective gasp forced Robin to open his eyes. Somehow there in the shadows not fully visible was the silhouette of Slade. Robins heart pounded in his ears and his blood ran hot. Before he even realized he had stood up and walked toward the man reaching out a hand. Slade was as unreadable as ever behind the two tone mask as Robin took the last step closing the distance between the two of them. He allowed Robins hand to lightly brush against his kevlar clad chest, a gesture so gentle it seemed wholly unnatural for them both. "How?" Robin breathed. At his single word the moment of calm was broken and the titans rushed to Robin pulling him back away from Slade while shouting to get away from him. How dare they pull him away. Robin felt that now familiar, calming, coldness settle in him as he whipped his right foot across Cy's face and quickly swiped BB off his feet. The girls stood there frozen as he glared at them, no doubt feeling the radiating waves of blood lust coming from his lithe body. "Do not move. Or I will take you all on, and I wont hold back." he said, voice dripping with icy venom. As the girls nodded he turned back to Slade to find him staring at him, one gloved hand resting atop his own memorial the other placed behind his back.

"Hello my little Bird."


End file.
